California fires live updates: Firefighters still battle Los Angeles, Ventura blazes as ‘particularly dangerous’ winds warning in effect

Firefighters continue to battle the Los Angeles wildfires that have scorched tens of thousands of acres, destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and left at least 24 people dead.

• There are four active wildfires in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, according to Cal Fire:
  
  Palisades Fire (Los Angeles County): 23,713 acres, 14% contained
  Eaton Fire (Los Angeles County): 14,117 acres, 33% contained
  Hurst Fire (Los Angeles County): 799 acres, 97% contained
  Auto Fire (Ventura County): 56 acres, 0% contained
  

• The causes of the fires are under investigation.
  

• About 92,000 Los Angeles County residents remain under mandatory evacuation orders, with another 89,000 under evacuation warnings.
  

• Police have made dozens of arrests in evacuation zones for various offenses; nine people have been criminally charged for looting in the Palisades and Eaton Fires.
  

• Strong winds are forecast to return to the area, potentially hampering efforts to the fires.
  

• The National Weather Service issued a rare warning of a “particularly dangerous situation” forecast to come this week, predicting severe fire conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Firefighters continued on Monday to try to bring under control two large wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area ahead of another round of strong Santa Ana winds.

The larger of the two, the Palisades Fire, which has so far burned 23,713 acres, is just 14% contained. The Eaton Fire, which has charred 14,117 acres in Altadena and Pasadena, is 33% contained.

According to forecasters, the Santa Ana wind gusts could hit 70 mph in areas where firefighters are still battling flames nearly a week after the Palisades Fire broke out in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Those winds are likely to persist through Wednesday.

Here's a recap of the day's other developments:

• Joe Tyler, director and fire chief of Cal Fire, said people should remain "ready to evacuate," thanks to the next round of wind

• The National Weather Service expanded the areas that are expected to get the most dangerous winds

• Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass provided residents with a telephone number they could use to report price gouging

• Hundreds of landlords are accused of hiking rents during the disaster in violation of statutes designed to prevent that

• The professional sports teams in L.A. pledged more than $8 million in donations to help victims of the fires

• Officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the causes of the wildfires

• Climate scientists say rising global temperatures have made wildfires much worse in recent years

• President Biden: "Our hearts ache for the 24 innocent souls we have lost in the wildfires across Los Angeles"

• A lawsuit was filed blaming Southern California Edison for causing the Eaton Fire

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Monday that it was rescheduling the announcement of nominations for this year's Oscars due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles

• The Grammy Awards will go on as scheduled

• Multiple arrests have been made in areas impacted by the wildfires

• The death toll from the fires has risen to at least 24 people

• President-elect Donald Trump is planning to visit California as early as next week, according to his staff

At a Monday evening briefing, fire officials said that crews had made some progress in recent days battling wildfires that continue to threaten the Los Angeles area, but they warned that another round of Santa Ana winds expected to worsen in the coming hours remained a threat.

"We have a significant storm coming tonight," Joseph Everett, assistant chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, told reporters.

Joe Tyler, director and fire chief of Cal Fire, echoes that message. “We need you to be remain vigilant, ready to evacuate,” he said.

Wind gusts up to 70 mph are expected in areas where firefighters continue to try to contain the Palisades and Eaton fires, the two biggest blazes that remain active. Those winds could persist through Wednesday, forecasters say.

"Do not let your guard down," Los Angeles Fire Department chief Kristin Crowley added at Monday's news conference.

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced that his office has filed criminal charges against 10 people for crimes that occurred during the outbreak of the wildfires in the county.

Nine of the charges are for looting in the Palisades and Eaton Fires. “These are the people who are seeking to exploit this tragedy for their own benefit,” Hochman said at a news conference Monday afternoon.

One charge is for arson that occurred in Azusa and is not connected with the origination of any of the major wildfires, Hochman said.

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to visit Los Angeles as soon as next week to see the wildfire damage and assess recovery needs, multiple news outlets reported Monday.

It's unclear whether his visit to the fire-ravaged region would come before or after his Jan. 20 presidential inauguration.

Trump has publicly criticized how local and state officials have handled the wildfire response, prompting an invite from California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom for Trump to tour the devastation himself.

"In the spirit of this great country, we must not politicize human tragedy or spread disinformation from the sidelines," Newsom said in a letter to Trump last week. "Hundreds of thousands of Americans — displaced from their homes and fearful for the future — deserve to see all of us working in their best interests to ensure a fast recovery and rebuild."

In a post on X, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advised residents affected by the wildfires to call 311 to report businesses that are engaging in price gouging, i.e., when a business takes advantage of a state of emergency by illegally raising prices on things like emergency supplies, lodging, transportation, bottled water and generators.

All 12 professional sports franchises in Los Angeles are banding together to support wildfire relief efforts, pledging more than $8 million in donations and organizing events at three stadiums to help victims.

On Friday, Jan. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time, community partners from the teams at Dodger Stadium, SoFi Stadium and BMO Stadium will distribute "personal hygiene kits, school supplies, sneakers and more" to people who have been evacuated from the wildfires.

"Angelenos with proof of residency in evacuated Zip Codes will be eligible to attend," the teams said in a joint press release. "Additionally, bus transportation is being offered to help individuals residing in area evacuation shelters with travel to stadium distribution sites. Lunch will be provided to individuals and families at the stadium events."

Additionally, the 12 pro sports organizations — Angel City FC, the Angels, Chargers, Clippers, Dodgers, Ducks, Galaxy, Kings, LAFC, Lakers, Rams and Sparks — have "pledged a combined donation of more than $8 million to support victims in need, as well as those fighting the fires," according to the release. Beneficiaries include the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the California Fire Foundation, the Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund, the World Central Kitchen, the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund, Team Rubicon and various local animal rescue organizations.

When California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency last Tuesday in response to the Los Angeles wildfires, it triggered a key protection for tens of thousands of evacuated Angelenos who suddenly need a new place to live — either because their homes have burned down or because their neighborhoods could be off-limits for months to come.

“Following a declaration of emergency,” the California attorney general’s office explained online, “the statute generally prohibits landlords from increasing the price of rental housing by more than 10% of the previously charged or advertised price.”

“It’s called price gouging,” Attorney General Rob Bonta added during a press conference. “It is illegal. You cannot do it. It is a crime punishable by up to a year in jail and fines.”

And yet L.A. landlords for at least 400 rental properties seem to have ignored Bonta’s warning as they seek to maximize profits in the midst of an ongoing disaster.

That number comes from a crowdsourced spreadsheet launched by housing advocate Chelsea Kirk of the Los Angeles Tenants Union — complete with addresses, Zillow links, dates of rent increases and exact pre- and post-hike prices.

Stories of price gouging have been circulating on social media and in news reports for days. But Kirk’s spreadsheet, which anyone can contribute to, is the most comprehensive source yet.

One of the more extreme examples is a 9,615-square-foot Tudor mansion in Bel Air that was listed for $29,500 a month in December — before reappearing last week for $39,000 a month. But more modest properties aren’t exempt. A 1,200-square-foot two-bedroom in Woodland Hills was listed for $3,900 in November; it’s now $5,900.

Read more here.

As is often the case in California after a devastating wildfire, the “people want answers” part of the equation takes on an ideological dimension, pitting those who focus on an immediate cause — such as arson or damaged power lines — against those who blame underlying conditions like climate change.

In the Kenneth Fire, for instance, police arrested a man last week who they said was attempting to light a fire in Woodland Hills. Residents of Altadena also reported what they described as flames originating from power lines in the area that they believe started the Eaton Fire.

At the same time, climate scientists continue to emphasize the growing body of evidence showing that climate change caused by the burning of fossil fuels is making wildfire conditions much worse.

Read more from Yahoo News.

The National Weather Service has expanded the areas that are expected to get the most dangerous winds.

Outlined in purple on the map below, Oxnard, Camarillo and Thousand Oaks are among the local areas now under the expanded "particularly dangerous situation" (PDS) red flag warning. The expanded area also includes a big portion of the Eaton Fire perimeter.

Those PDS areas could experience winds gusts up to 70 mph from early Tuesday morning into Wednesday, which could cause extreme fire behavior in existing blazes, or turn a small spark into a raging fire.

Communities are left reeling from the Palisades and Eaton wildfire devastation, with homes, churches and businesses burned to the ground, as photos show below.

Read more from Yahoo News.

President Biden issued a statement Monday in response to the increasing death toll from the wildfires, saying, "Our hearts ache for the 24 innocent souls we have lost in the wildfires across Los Angeles."

Biden said he and the First Lady are praying for the victims and their loved ones and are "deeply saddened by the devastation caused by the unprecedented ongoing wildfires across Southern California."

"My Administration remains laser-focused on helping survivors and we will continue to use every tool available to support the urgent firefight as the winds are projected to increase," the president said.

Biden thanked the firefighters and first responders, saying, "You represent the best of America and we are in your debt."

A man whose house was destroyed by the Palisades Fire has been reunited with his dog. An NBC correspondent captured the joyous moment Casey Colvin found Oreo in his neighbor's driveway Sunday.

According to NBC Los Angeles, Colvin was at work when he was ordered to evacuate last Tuesday. He tried to go back to rescue Oreo and his other dog, named Tika Tika Tika, but was unable to reach his home due to roadblocks. A firefighter who offered to go to his property was able to find Tika Tika Tika, but Oreo had run away.

Some people in the area responded to Colvin's missing-dog flier, saying they had seen Oreo sleeping in the chimney of a neighbor's yard.

Colvin used Tika Tika Tika to coax Oreo down the driveway before grabbing the pooch from under a gate.

A lawsuit filed against Southern California Edison on Monday claims that the energy provider's equipment sparked the Eaton Fire in the Pasadena area.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of homeowners, renters and business owners seeking damages for property losses caused by the wildfires.

The suit alleges that the utility company didn't properly maintain its electrical infrastructure.

“[Southern California Edison] knew about the significant risk of wildfires caused by its aging and overloaded utility towers and power poles years before the Eaton Fire began,” according to the complaint.

Pedro Pizarro, the president and CEO of Edison International, appeared on Good Morning America on Monday and was asked if the utility company's equipment and lines played a role in the outbreak of the Eaton Fire, which has now covered over 14,000 acres.

"At this point, we have not seen the kind of electrical anomaly that you would usually see with an event like this," Pizarro said. "We may find something different. We want to inspect, we want assistance from investigators and then we want to be transparent with the public."

The official cause of the Eaton Fire, as well as the Palisades and Hurst fires, is still being investigated by law enforcement.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Monday that it is rescheduling the announcement of nominations for this year's Oscars due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles.

The event, which had been scheduled for Friday, has been pushed back to Jan. 23.

In addition, the annual Oscar nominees luncheon, which was scheduled for Feb. 10, will not be held this year.

The Oscars will still be held on Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET.

The Recording Academy sent a letter to members Monday stating that despite the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, the Grammy Awards will go on as scheduled on Feb. 2.

The show will double as a benefit to raise money for fire relief and response efforts, the Academy said, adding that it has already distributed more than $2 million in emergency aid.

“In challenging times, music has the power to heal, comfort, and unite like nothing else,” the letter reads. "The GRAMMYs will not only honor the artistry and achievements of our music community but also serve as a platform to amplify the spirit of resilience that defines this great city of Los Angeles."

Some Los Angeles County residents eager to return to their see if their homes are still intact have been unable to do so, even though fires may not currently be active in their neighborhoods.

L.A. County officials have cited fire flare-ups, downed utilities and ongoing grid searches for missing people and remains as some of the reasons why residents cannot return just yet.

However, officials said Monday that residents can now get an update on the status of their property at recovery.lacounty.gov, which shows newly released maps featuring color-coded icons that indicate whether a home or business was destroyed, suffered major or minor damage, or did not sustain any damage. Residents can type in an address to see its status.

"Please note that the preliminary maps have been posted and are being updated daily," Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said on Monday morning. If a structure does not have a color code, it has not been inspected yet, Marrone added.

Responding to a reporter's question about traffic jams triggered by mandatory evacuation alerts, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone suggested that those who receive an evacuation warning should evacuate before an order is issued.

"I would recommend in an abundance of caution, if you get an alert on your telephone for an evacuation warning, leave then — don't wait for the order," Marrone said. "Because we know from experience that if you wait for the order, you might get caught up in the congestion."

Marrone also urged residents not to silence the emergency alerts on their phones.

"If we send out an alert at 3 a.m. on Tuesday [morning] or Wednesday [morning], we want you to wake up," he said.

Nearly three dozen people have been arrested in evacuated areas, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Monday, including four who were arrested overnight.

Two were arrested for curfew violations, Luna said, and two others were arrested in what he described as a drone incident, bringing the total number of arrests to 34.

"If you do not have business in the evacuation areas, do not go there," Luna said.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said authorities would be holding a press conference later Monday to announce the first formal charges in a looting case and an arson case. (The arson case is not connected to ongoing wildfires but happened "on the sidelines," he said.)

Hochman hinted that more charges for burglary and "price gouging" by business owners would be announced soon.

He called those who have used the wildfires as an opportunity to commit crimes "despicable and disgraceful."

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna gave an update on the death toll and missing persons reported amid the ongoing fires during a press conference on Monday. The numbers are specifically for within the Los Angeles County jurisdiction.

• 21 confirmed deaths: 16 in the Eaton Fire area and five in the Palisades area

• 23 active missing persons reported: 17 in Eaton Fire area, six in Malibu area

Luna said all of those reported missing so far are adults, adding, "Thank God" none are juveniles.

"Please be patient with us," Luna said of the grid searches being conducted. "People are saying 'I just want to go look at my house and I want to see what's left.' We know that. But we have people literally looking for the remains of your neighbors," Luna said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Monday that the number of people under mandatory evacuation orders has decreased to about 92,000. It had been above 130,000 as recently as Friday.

Another 89,000 people remain under evacuation warnings, Luna said.

Luna said that the "repopulation" of evacuated areas is a priority but that it is still too dangerous to allow for a safe return.

"We understand that people want to go back, but it is dangerous to do so," he said. "And we will not put anybody's safety at risk."

The Eaton Fire, which has scorched more than 14,000 acres north of downtown Los Angeles, "gained no acreage" on Sunday, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a press briefing Monday.

More than 3,400 firefighting personnel are assigned to the fire, which is now 33% contained, he said.

Over 7,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed, Marrone said, adding that damage assessments are still underway.

About 150 Ukrainian firefighters are ready to help battle the Southern California wildfires, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Sunday video statement posted on X.

"I instructed Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs and our diplomats to prepare for the possible participation of our rescuers in combating the wildfires in California," he said. "The situation there is extremely challenging, and Ukrainians can help Americans protect lives."

The post comes after Donald Trump Jr. reposted screenshots of news reports that the L.A. County Fire Department donated a surplus of supplies to Ukraine in 2022 after the country was invaded by Russia.

"Oh look of course The LA fire department donated a bunch of their supplies to Ukraine," Trump Jr. wrote in the Jan. 8 post.

A free fire-tracking app called Watch Duty is gaining popularity as the Southern California wildfires have continue to rage through Los Angeles for nearly a week.

The app's CEO, John Mills, told the New York Times on Saturday that since the outbreak of the wildfires last Tuesday, the app has been downloaded 2 million times, with 14 million unique users last week.

"It’s really hard to watch, but I’d rather be doing this than not doing anything," Mills told the Los Angeles Times. "It feels like we could at least do something to help, because otherwise we’re just sitting here watching the world burn."

The app is helping to provide live updates to Los Angeles-area residents about nearby wildfires. Watch Duty is run by a nonprofit team of volunteers and staff consisting of retired firefighters, dispatchers, first responders and reporters, according to its website.

Firefighters continued to fight multiple wildfires in Southern California over the weekend, including in the neighborhoods impacted by the ongoing Palisades Fire. See images of that effort below.

Roughly 50,000 customers in Southern California were without power as of Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.US. More than half of the outages are in Los Angeles County.

With strong Santa Ana winds forecast to return, Pedro Pizarro, the president and CEO of Edison International, told Good Morning America on Monday that the company has advised roughly 450,000 customers that their power could be shut off to prevent utility lines from sparking any additional wildfires.

Pizarro was asked if the utility company's equipment and lines played a role in the outbreak of the Eaton Fire, which has now covered over 14,000 acres.

"At this point, we have not seen the kind of electrical anomaly that you would usually see with an event like this," Pizarro said. "We may find something different. We want to inspect, we want assistance from investigators and then we want to be transparent with the public."

The Palisades Fire saw "very little growth" over the weekend, fire officials said Monday.

The fire, which has scorched 23,713 acres, is now 14% contained.

"We've had very little growth since Friday, Jim Hudson, incident commander for the Palisades Fire, said at a press briefing, thanking the more than 5,000 personnel assigned to the fire.

However, the return of Santa Ana winds forecast for early this week could complicate fire suppression efforts.

"We're still in a very dynamic situation," he said.

As multiple wildfires continue to burn throughout the Los Angeles area, hundreds of thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate their homes — many of them unsure if there will be a home for them to return to.

If you are following the news from afar and unsure of how to help, several organizations are accepting donations on behalf of the affected communities and people.

From California Community Foundation's Wildfire Recovery Fund to verified GoFundMe fundraisers and Pasadena Humane, here's a list of organizations helping the victims of the fires.

Read more from Yahoo News.

Officials said Sunday that the death toll from the Los Angeles wildfires has risen to 24.

According to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, 16 of the deaths were attributed to the Eaton Fire and eight to the Palisades Fire.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said that 16 people have been reported missing, though authorities are working to determine whether some of those are among the dead.

Beyoncé has pledged $2.5 million to help families who lost their homes in Altadena and Pasadena, towns devastated by the Eaton Fire.

The donation, made through her BeyGOOD charitable foundation's L.A. Fire Relief Fund, will be "earmarked to aid families in the Altadena/Pasadena area of Los Angeles who lost their homes to the wildfires, and to churches and community centers to address the immediate needs of those affected," the foundation said in a press release.

The singer is one of numerous celebrities who have mobilized in the wake of the wildfires to help support relief efforts.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: California wildfires: Angelina Jolie, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sharon Stone, Halle Berry among celebrities helping displaced families

Rory Sykes, an Australian former child actor who starred in the late-’90s British TV show Kiddy Kapers, died in the wildfires last week, according to his mother.

“It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires yesterday. I’m totally heart broken,” Shelley Sykes wrote in a post on X.

Rory Sykes, 32, was born blind and had difficulty walking due to cerebral palsy, Shelley Sykes wrote. He was living in a cottage on the family's Malibu estate when it became engulfed in flames, she said.

"I couldn’t put out the cinders on his roof with a hose because the water was switched off," she said, tagging the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District in her post.

A spokesperson for the water authority denied her claim, telling NBC News that "water service did remain available and uninterrupted to her property."

The National Weather Service has issued a "particularly dangerous situation" red flag warning for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties beginning Tuesday at 4 a.m. and lasting until noon on Wednesday.

Wind gusts of up to 70 mph are possible, the weather service said, with extremely low relative humidity.

"Peak winds for this next event will be weaker than those last week," forecasters noted. "Nevertheless, winds will be strong enough to potentially cause explosive fire growth."

The death toll from the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles has risen to 24, officials said Sunday, as firefighters continue to battle the nearly weeklong blazes that have destroyed thousands of homes.

• There are three active wildfires in Los Angeles County, according to Cal Fire:
  
  Palisades Fire: 23,713 acres, 13% contained
  Eaton Fire: 14,117 acres, 27% contained
  Hurst Fire: 799 acres, 89% contained
  

• The cause of the fires is under investigation.
  

• More than 100,000 Los Angeles County residents remain under mandatory evacuation orders.
  

• Santa Ana winds that have fueled the fires were calm over the weekend, allowing firefighters to make relative progress. But high winds are expected to return this week.
  

• The National Weather Service issued a rare warning of a “particularly dangerous situation” forecast to come this week, predicting severe fire conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday.

For the fourth consecutive day, devastating wildfires continued to burn in the Los Angeles area, forcing residents from neighborhoods and destroying homes and businesses.

So far, 10 people have been reported killed in the wildfires that have destroyed approximately 10,000 structures.

Here's a recap of what transpired on Friday:

• Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass vowed to "aggressively rebuild" areas destroyed by the fires

• The IRS announced that wildfire victims would be given tax relief and could file their taxes on Oct. 15 this year

• bCalifornia's insurance commissioner issued a one-year moratorium on private insurers canceling homeowners policies or denying coverage in areas affected by the wildfires

• FEMA is investigating claims by some L.A. residents who said they were denied assistance from the agency

• FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said at a briefing that the agency had enough funding to handle disaster assistance for wildfire victims

• Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered an investigation into why some fire hydrants ran dry during the fires

• Parts of Southern California are now under "severe drought," according to the U.S. Drought Monitor

• Disney said it would donate $15 million "for initial and immediate response and rebuilding efforts"

• California deployed National Guard troops to help deter looting

• More erroneous emergency alerts were sent to the telephones of Los Angeles residents

• Drinking-water advisories persisted in several neighborhoods

The Walt Disney Company announced Friday that it is committing $15 million to any immediate response teams helping out in the Los Angeles area. The announcement also mentioned that Disney will be offering any essential services necessary for groups on the ground, including the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

“As this tragedy continues to unfold, The Walt Disney Company is committed to supporting our community and our employees as we all work together to recover and rebuild from this unbelievable devastation,” CEO Bob Iger said in a statement. "Walt Disney came to Los Angeles with little more than his limitless imagination, and it was here that he chose to make his home, pursue his dreams and create extraordinary storytelling."

The IRS announced today that tax relief will be given to individuals and businesses who have been affected by the wildfires that started in the Los Angeles area on Jan. 7.

People who qualify do not need to contact the IRS to get the tax relief; the IRS said it will automatically be filing it to taxpayers with an address in any disaster zone.

Those who qualify are not expected to file their taxes and make payments by April 15; instead, they have until Oct. 15 to do so.

Over the past week, drought conditions have continued to worsen in the areas in Southern California where wildfires have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.

A large swath of the state that includes Los Angeles and San Diego is now experiencing "severe drought" intensity, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Just days ago, the Drought Monitor had classified those same areas as experiencing "moderate drought."

Since May, the National Weather Service said, downtown Los Angeles has received just 0.16 inches of rain. Over the next 10 days, there is just a minimal chance of rain, according to the Weather Channel.

On Thursday, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced a one-year moratorium on insurance companies canceling or not renewing homeowner insurance policies in or adjacent to areas affected by the wildfires.

“Losing your insurance should be the last thing on someone’s mind after surviving a devastating fire,” Lara said of the order. “This law gives millions of Californians breathing room and hits the pause button on insurance nonrenewals while people recover.”

Under state law, such an action can be put in place after the governor declares a state of emergency. Gov. Gavin Newsom did so on Tuesday.

In an effort to stem the cancellations of coverage by private insurers and the flood of new policies being written by the FAIR Plan (California's insurer of last resort), Lara cut a deal last month that obliges private companies to offer coverage in fire-prone areas equal to at least 85% of their market share throughout the state. In exchange, insurers will be able to factor in the cost of purchasing reinsurance into those policies. Additionally, the companies will be able to account for the future risks posed by climate change to a specific property, and that means coverage costs are likely to soar.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said Friday that she would try to get answers within the next 24 hours regarding claims that some people have already been denied assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Barger said people are being denied right after filling out the online FEMA form.

“I’m following up on that to find out what is going on because it is completely mind-boggling to me that people who lost everything are filling out a form, as told, and then are getting an immediate denial,” she said at a news conference.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that he had ordered an investigation into why fire hydrants in areas of Southern California battling wildfires ran dry as flames engulfed homes and businesses.

"We need answers to how that happened. Therefore, I have directed state water and fire-fighting officials to prepare an independent after-incident report examining the causes of lost water supply and water pressure in municipal water systems during the fire events, and to identify measures that local governments can implement to provide adequate water supply for emergency response during future catastrophic events," Newsom said in a letter to the heads of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Los Angeles County Public Works.

In a social media post on Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump appeared to blame the fast-moving wildfires on Newsom, who he said had "refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way."

In response, Newsom said his "message to the incoming administration" was simple: "Please don't play any politics." In a letter sent Friday, Newsom invited Trump to tour the devastation first-hand.

Water experts, such as Pacific Institute co-founder Peter Gleick, dispute Trump's claims.

“There is no connection whatsoever between California’s water policies and the water available for firefighters in Southern California," Gleick told the Washington Post. "They’re unrelated issues. Trump's using scientific misinformation to try to make a political point, and it’s irresponsible."

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said there were 100,053 residents under evacuation orders as of Friday afternoon, which includes areas impacted by the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Kenneth and Lidia Fires.

Assistant Sheriff Myron Johnson told reporters Friday that about 166,800 residents are under evacuation warnings. About 57,830 structures also remain at risk.

A curfew remains in effect for mandatory evacuation zones of the Palisades and Eaton Fires from 6 p.m. local time Friday through 6 a.m. until further notice to help prevent looting and burglaries. "Anyone found in violation of the curfew will be subject to arrest for a misdemeanor," Johnson said. If convicted, the penalty could include up to a $1,000 fine and jail time.

It’s been a major source of controversy and criticism for days now: Why did hydrants run dry in the Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, when firefighters needed them most?

A new report in the Los Angeles Times details the dynamics that have become familiar to anyone who’s been following this developing story: ferocious Santa Ana winds grounded firefighting helicopters and fanned the exploding blaze at precisely the same time, forcing groundwater demand to quadruple for 15 straight hours.

But the L.A. Times also digs deeper, explaining why the area’s infrastructure might need to change in the future:

California National Guard troops have arrived in areas of Los Angeles County, including Altadena, Pasadena and Santa Monica to largely assist in helping to prevent looters from burglarizing evacuated homes.

At least 20 people have been arrested for looting in wildfire evacuation zones, authorities said Thursday.

"I promise you, you will be held accountable," said L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. "Shame on those who are preying on our residents during this time of crisis."

FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters on Friday at a White House press briefing that her agency had enough money to respond to fund the immediate needs arising from the wildfires in Southern California.

"With the recent supplemental, FEMA received $27 billion, and so we are now able to continue to support the ongoing recovery efforts for all of the disasters that we've been supporting, to include now the immediate response and the initial recovery efforts that are going to be needed here in California," Criswell said, appearing via video link.

While it was still too early to calculate the financial impact of the disaster, Criswell acknowledged that "this is going to be billions."

"Thanks to the bipartisan support of Congress, we have enough funding to support this recovery effort and these response efforts," she added.

Regarding immediate aid FEMA could offer California residents whose homes have been destroyed, Criswell offered some advice.

"There's two things — they need to register for assistance with FEMA so that they can get in our system and we can continue to work with them on a case-by-case basis," she said, "because we know that everybody is going to have an individual and unique need. And they need to contact their insurance company, because their insurance company may also provide alternate living expenses."

After Hurricane Helene destroyed thousands of homes in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, misinformation was spread by President-elect Donald Trump and others about FEMA's ability to fund housing needs for displaced residents.

At Friday's press conference, Criswell made sure to assure Californians that FEMA could help cover immediate housing needs.

"One of the biggest tools and the best resources we have is reimbursing individuals either for the hotel costs that they are experiencing right now or, if they find a place to rent, reimbursing them for rental assistance," Criswell said.

The Archer brush fire that flared up in the Granada Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles late Friday morning has been halted in its tracks, according to the L.A. Fire Department.

With forward progress stopped at 31.5 acres, a mandatory evacuation order for the area bounded by Balboa and the 5 freeway to the east, Tampa to the west, Sesnon to the south and Sunshine Canyon Road to the north has been downgraded to an evacuation warning.

The wider evacuation warning previously in place for the surrounding areas has been lifted.

Five people have died in the Eaton Fire that started in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday night. One of those who died as a result of the wildfire was 83-year-old Rodney Nickerson, a grandfather who was discovered dead in his bed by his family amid the rubble and fire destruction.

"We found his bones, his whole body was intact," his daughter Kimiko Nickerson told the local CBS News affiliate.

Kimiko said she, her son and neighbors all tried to get him to evacuate, but he insisted that he was going to be fine. "That was the last thing he verbally said to me was, 'I'll be here tomorrow,'" she said.

Photographers have captured striking images showing just some of the devastation and heartbreak caused by the Los Angeles-area wildfires, which have scorched more than 30,000 acres and reduced entire neighborhoods to ash.

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